Amputation ice chest



Dec. 15, 1942. J, A, KENNEDY E AL 2,305,582

AMPUTATION ICE CHEST Filed Dec. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I m'entors A Home] Dec 15,1942.

B] @Mm Attorney Patented Dec. 15, 1942 AMPUTATION ICE CHEST Joseph A. Kennedy; Bronx, and Joseph Kish, New

York, N. Y., assignors, by direct andmesne assignments,- to- JulesD. Gordon, New-York, N. Y.

ApplicationDecember 24, 1941,. Serial No. 424,348

This invention relates toimprovements 1 in means for using ice to produce anesthesia of limbs'to. prepare thevlinrbs for amputation, and more particularly "to-an ice chest in which the limb is inserted and packed in ice, and the melt from the ice is confined and prevented from wetting other portions of the body of the patient or the bed, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and comfortable arrangement of the character indicated.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3 along the line 4-4 and looking toward the right in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the chest which for convenience and economy of space comprises an elongated cofiin-shaped box of wood or other suitable light weight material, formed with a semi-circularly rounded bottom 6 which is so designed to enable sidewise rocking of the chest when in place on the leg of the patient, to enable the patient to have the arm or leg in a com- 2- fortable position. As indicated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the chest is of substantially uniform depth and the top is provided with a removable cover I which is provided on its opposite longitudinal edges and at its upper end with a depending flange 8 which telescopes onto the upper edge 9 of the box to close the same tightly. The cover has in addition a depending plate Hi similar in shape to the open. top of the box but slightly smaller in order to have an easy fit into the top of the box as indicated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

As indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings the opposite longitudinal sides H and I2 taper toward the lower end of the box from. the wide points indicated by the numerals l3 and upwardly from the points I3 these sides of the box taper sharply as indicated by the numeral 14. A rounded rocker element [5 extends along the opposite sides and the bottom of the upper part of the from a horizontal supporting vsurface Iii-so asto cause the bottom of the box to decline forwardly.

to gravitationallydraini any; accumulation oi melted ice or water toward the lower end of the box. The lower end of the box is provided with a triangular cross section screen ll which encloses and protects the inner end of a drain pipe l8 which passes downwardly out of the end of the box near the bottom thereof as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings to drain the water accumulations from the box. A drain hose (not shown) may be readily attached to the pipe l8 to convey the water away from the box and prevent any unwanted escape of water. The screen I! prevents ice in the box from blocking the drain pipe l8.

As indicated in Figures 3 and 4 the sides and bottoms of the box are preferably lined with a suitable metal lining 19 which reaches to the upper edge 9 of the box.

The lower end wall 20 of the chest is substantially impervious, while the upper end wall 20' takes the form of an open frame with a removable segment 2| in its top and characterized by a rounded opening 22 through which the foot and leg or hand and arm, as the case may be, of the patient is passed into the box as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. In the arrangement illustrated the foot and leg 23 are in anesthetizing position in the chest 5. Just within the apertured upper end wall 20' is secured an inflatable rubber or similar material annular cuff 24 of a size to relatively snugly receive the leg 23. This ring has flap portions 25 projecting therefrom and secured loosely to the end wall 20'. The cufi 24 also has an inflating valve stem 26 projecting therefrom to which may be attached an air pressure hose. The cuff may be adjusted along the limb.

In accordance with the present invention the device thereof is put into use by placing pieces of solid ice 2'! along the bottom of the box between the sides thereof to a sufiicient depth, whereupon the leg 23 of the patient is passed through the opening 22 and through the cuff 24, and is laid in proper position on the ice just deposited on the bottom. The leg or other limb of the patient will have been specially prepared by draining the same of blood in an elevated position and by application of a tourniquet and/or other bandage means, so that the same is substantially drained of blood before insertion into the chest 5. When the leg is in position and the circulation restrictins bandages are removed the cuff 24 is inflated so as to increase the blood dam and to make a seal at the upper end of the box. The remaining ice is then placed around and on the top of the leg 23 as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings and when a suflicient amount has been so placed, the cover I is put in place. After the expiration of the required time for producing anesthesia oi the leg or other limb by freezing, the cover I is removed, the surplus ice removed from the leg 23 and the cufi 24 deflated and the leg or other limb withdrawn through the aperture 22 and the patient is then ready for the operating room, the operation of amputation of the limb being capable of being successfully and efliciently performed without the use of any other anesthetic.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto, except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

invention, what is An ice chest for anesthetizing a limb for ampu- 25 tation,.said chest comprising an elongated box having an open top provided with a removable cover, an apertured end wall on said box formed with a limb passing opening enabling inserting the limb into the box, an inflatable cufi supported adjacent said end Wall around said opening to embrace the limb for sealing the limb inserted therethrough with respect to said opening, the interior of said box being arranged to accommodate the limb in a packing of ice particles, the opposite end of said box being provided with a drain for melted ice, and depending support means adjacent to the first mentioned end portion of said box for engaging a supporting surface in company with a portion adjacent to the opposite end of the box to support the box at a declining angle to convey the melted ice toward the drain, the bottom of said support means and the bottom of the box adjacent to the said opposite end being rounded to permit rocking said box sidewise on said supporting surface.

JOSEPH A. KENNEDY. JOSEPH IKISH. 

